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The art of Bruno Walter

Steven A. Peterson | Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL) | 12/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am delighted that I purchased this 4 CD set, as a part of the Artone series. I have vague recollections of Walter's conducting from my high school and college years, and my memory was that he was another plodding Teutonic conductor. Boy, was my memory in error!



Here are the contents: Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik," Overtures to "Marriage of Figaro" and "The Magic Flute," Symphony # 40; Schubert, Symphony # 9; Schumann, Symphony # 4; Brahms, "Eine Deutsches Requiem"; Mahler, Symphony # 4, "Kindertotenlieder." Orchestras represented across these different pieces: the New York Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, NBC Symphony Orchestra, and the Paris Conservetoire Orchestra.



I won't comment on all the works; that would take too many words. But let us look at some examples of Walter's craft.



Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" overture. This is played at a nice pace, with the first crescendo handled very well. This lively piece of Mozartiana is played well by what I think is the New York Philharmonic (the notes are not as clear as I would like on this matter). The instruments stand out clearly and the whole is well conducted by Walter. The finale is rousingly played. As soon as I heard this, I realized that my recollections of Walter were way off the mark (yep, I admit my error!).



One of my favorite of Mozart's symphony is # 40. Walter and the New York Philharmonic create a nice version of this chef d'oeuvre. The first movement, "molto allegro," begins as specified. It is well played with an edge (maybe because of the minor key, as my Amazon Friend Art Centurion once suggested to me?). The second movement, is "andante" and Walter conducts it accordingly. Well done indeed. The third movement is more spirited, but at the same time rather stately. The fourth movement is spirited, to say the least. The conductor and orchestra close out this wonderful symphony in uplifting fashion. Nice finale!



One of the CDs features Mahler (in a sense, Walter's mentor). And one of the selections is the delightful 4th Symphony of Gustav Mahler. This was recorded by the New York Philharmonic in 1945. The first movement is captivating (love those bells!).The horns are shimmering, if I can use that phrase. This is an affecting version, almost playful in fact. This closes with "brio." The second movement is more thoughtful and contemplative, but played well. The strings open this movement with spirit. Woodwinds, strings, and horns play off one another well. Lots of life here. The third movement? Slow, almost lugubrious at the outset. An elegiac piece of music. Finally, the fourth movement--with those bells showing up again to good effect! Desi Halban sings Mahler's words, and this fourth movement is one of my favorite pieces in the symphonic repertoire. Halban's voice is a bit harsh, hardly ravishing, but she is effective and the 4th movement closes this work out nicely. Nice pace by Walter and the Orchestra.



To conclude? I'm glad I didn't let my disappointing memory of Walter deter me from purchasing this. For one thing, I recognized that my memory has played me false. For another, and more important, I had the chance to listen to the music that he conducted so well.

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